Abbott's 'new' BRAC plan looks familiar to Van de Putte

Presumed GOP gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott rolled out a three-point plan last week to help protect Texas military bases from a widely expected round of Base Realignment and Closure shutdowns sometime within the next three years.

Abbott's BRAC proposal, which he unveiled in an op-ed that ran in newspapers across the state (including the San Antonio Express-News), was significant because the attorney general hadn't weighed in on military issues much before the announcement of the new plan.

It also was notable because it basically mimicked policies advocated over the past few years by state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio.

It would be an exaggeration to say Abbott's plan is “Ice Ice Baby” to Van de Putte's “Under Pressure.” It's a smoother piece of creative appropriation; more like his “Blurred Lines” to Van de Putte's “Got to Give It Up.”

The similarities didn't escape Van de Putte's attention.

When I contacted her last week to ask about Abbott's plan, Van de Putte (who is running for lieutenant governor) said: “It looks really, really familiar. All of these ideas have been openly discussed either in our committee or in correspondence with other members of the Legislature.”

Abbott campaign spokesman Abe Huerta provided the following statement to the Express-News: “Military facilities have an immense and positive impact on local communities across the state. Texans are proud to host these installations, and no state offers greater support for the mission of the military, and its servicemen and women, than Texas. As governor, Greg Abbott will work with all community leaders in Texas to strengthen our ability to promote and secure our military.”

The first piece of Abbott's plan to cope with BRAC is to establish the Texas Military Preparedness Commission — currently a part of the governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism — as a stand-alone entity with a “full-time military advisory to coordinate with our local and base community leaders.”

Last year, Van de Putte, the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations, authored a bill to expand the power and responsibilities of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission.

Van de Putte's bill also authorized the commission to establish a task force to develop a plan of action for BRAC.

Van de Putte has argued — as Abbott began to do last week — that the commission needs more power and personnel to be effective.

“The commission has got one staffer who tries to do a good job, but it's not given the weight that it needs to protect 15 military installations,” she said.

Abbott also promised that as governor, he would ask the Legislature to appropriate more money to protect the state's military communities.

That has been a longtime mantra from Van de Putte, and in an April 2013 press release, she urged the Legislature to fund grants to “help communities anticipate the severe economic impacts stemming from the closure of a military base.”

The final plank of Abbott's plan called for improved infrastructure, job training and educational opportunities for military families.

It calls to mind Van de Putte's push to get pre-K and day care services for Texas military families, and the letter she sent last April 11 to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — a possible general-election opponent for her this year — recommending a review of ways to improve job opportunities at state agencies for veterans.

As far as Van de Putte is concerned, any study of quality of life issues for military families must include an examination of the way payday lenders tend to prey on service members.

It's a touchy issue for Abbott because he has received more than $230,000 in contributions from the payday lending industry over the past five years.

Abbott “has got pretty savvy staffers,” she added. “They understand that (BRAC) is an important thing. But I don't know how you have a strategic plan to protect military communities when you refuse to help close the loopholes to protect military families from payday lenders.”

Gilbert Garcia is a native of Brownsville, Texas, with more than 20 years experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers. A graduate of Harvard University, he has won awards for his reporting on music, sports, religion, and politics. He is the author of the 2012 book, "Reagan's Comeback: Four Weeks in Texas That Changed American Politics Forever," published by Trinity University Press. One of his feature stories also appeared in the national anthology, "Da Capo Best Music Writing 2001."